The Classic P226: a quick first look

If you’ve seen some of my other other posts here you’ll know I’m a big fan of 1970s and 1980s 9mm pistols (plus a couple of their contemporaries). My first exposure to the P226 was on the cover of the May 1985 Gun & Ammo (that publication was a pretty big influence on me back then!) and I was really taken by the look of the pistol, despite author Jan Libourel stating in the article “It really strains the old saying, "Handsome is as handsome does," to its limits. I was mightily impressed by this pistol's performance, but it will be quite a while before I can regard it as a thing of beauty.” My grandmother got me this (now well-worn!) book the following year for my 20th birthday which only increased my interest.



But, back when I was getting into shooting in the mid-1980s the gun selection around here was pretty slim, and P226s were going for more than twice as much as the CZ75 I ended up getting (which itself was a pretty good gun!) so I was without a P226 until the early 2010s. I’ve picked up (and sold) a three railed models, which I liked OK, and also a Legion, which I really liked, but I still longed for the classic lines of the West German original. Of course, they do come up for sale fairly often, but I’ve found that many of them are now well-worn.

When I saw this 29 year old (but unfired!) example pop up for sale I couldn’t resist. It’s been well-stored—it looks just like it left the factory! The “chin” of the slide has West German proof marks:


I’ve done a bit of research and found that these marks indicate the pistol was proofed at the Kiel Proof House (near the SIG factory) using a “Nitro Beschuss” proof load. The eagle proof mark indicates that the pistol was proofed in West Germany (or Germany) and the KB denotes a manufacture year of 1991. Which is one year post-reunification in Germany—I’ve read that the 1990 Reunification Treaty allowed previous West German companies to continue using the “Made in West Germany” designation until 1995.

The frame also has the eagle proof (and they really stamped the “5” in the serial number!), and you can see the “scalloped” portion of the slide rail that I’ve read was either intended to provide a recess for mud to collect in and allow the slide to move freely, or else intended to provide a space for more rail grease. You can find lots of references online to rumours of high-use frames cracking because of these recesses but I’ve not seen an example. I’m likely not going to shoot this one enough to find out!



Compared to my Legion the DA trigger pull is much heavier (due to a very stout hammer spring, and the SA reset is the typical long reset followed by another fairly log take-up—the SA pull on the Legion was much better! The medium-reach trigger was nicer too, this one has a reach that’s just about maximum for me. The grips are better than expected…I was thinking of swapping them out but the feel surprisingly good.

As a shooter, there's no question that the Legion was superior—better sights, grips and (especially) trigger, But there's something very satisfying in picking up one of my original dream guns.

 

Beautiful gun, and nice writeup. I have a KA, in WAY worse condition, but it's matching and I like it a lot.

When I got it, it looked like this



Yikes, right?

I did a little DIY restoration on it, and got it looking, if not great, at least civilized again




I took a file to the worst areas of the slide, then sanded carefully, then did several runs of cold blue applied to heated metal, finished by rubbing boiled linseed oil over the slide to 'seal' the cold blue. It's held up ok, hasn't really worsened, but at some point I want to get it refinished to a more proper appearance. I changed out the recoil spring, outside that everything else intact. BTW it's a great shooter!

 

That came out looking really good! Well done!

 

I’m a big fan of the legacy P226. This has been my EDC for the last 7 years. I have approx. 25,000 rounds fired through it without a single malfunction if you can believe it. It’s a 1988 date code. The only changes I’ve made are adding Trijicon HD night sights, new style hammer strut, Wolff 18-pound mainspring, short reset trigger kit, and polished trigger bar. I also have the original West German checkered grips stored away, I prefer the newer style. She shoots like a wet dream:




I’m proud of my finish wear:






If you shoot these a lot you must replace the breech block double roll pins every 5k rounds or risk frame cracking when they fail. Newer SIGs use a one-piece slide so this isn’t a concern on those.

I also have a 1994 P228 that is everything the P226 is but better. More collectible though so I don’t shoot it. Mec-Gar makes excellent mags for the SIGs with more capacity than the standard 15-rounders.

 

Personal favorite 226s … cherry W. German KB, a Legion and a police trade-in. Legion is the best shooter of the bunch, but my W. German is my treasure, and a great shooter in its own right.

 

I have an ex-NYPD 226 I converted from DOA to DA/SA using chromed parts(to match the chromed controls it already had) I bought online for $52. Other than one nasty looking area on the right side of the slide, it's in great shape. I also have a new P226 SSE, and I love the look and feel of it. The SRT is nice, but I don't think it shoots any better than the other gun does. I suppose the stainless steel frame would outlast the alum frame of a "normal" Sig P series, but I will never shoot it enough to find out.

 

I just pick up a German made 228, trigger is pretty damn nice in it! According to the year made, it was assembled in the US from German parts...

 

I picked up a West German P226 a couple years ago.
I love it.
I put on some fancy grips, but kept the original and may go back to them.

 

The West German stamped P226 is a very nice gun. I carried one for a few years here on the farm. It was in excellent shape with the Euro grip mod for 20 round magazines with two mags. The gun’s holster had a flap on the front to secure the second 20 rounder in its own little holster. A deputy Sheriff decided he wanted it more than me. I am not much of a 9mm person so was glad he bought it.

 

That’s a shame you don’t shoot your P228, I’ve had 2 and I still have the second, I don’t shoot it as often as I would like to. I have an M11-A1 to compare it to. The newer gun has better sights and a nice SRT but the P228 with the folded steel slide feels better in my hand and balances nicely compared to the newer gun with the milled slide. But I do like both of these guns, these are both great shooting guns when I’m doing my part.

 

I got this police trade-in P229 for a bid of $280 or something like that. It looks terrible, but it's a terrific shooter. I don't care that it's scratched up. The slide is stainless steel anyway. It's one of my favorite handguns.

Sig P229 40 Caliber by Tallball posted Aug 3, 2018 at 12:05 PM

 

The used SIG P-series in .40 S&W are right now, in my opinion, one of the best deals going. Even if one doesn't shoot or reload .40, there's so much value here, it's hard to pass up.

 

I won this one in a raffle. Not my preference with the “fancy” engraving, but it’s still a Sig! Frame is from Germany but the gun came from N.H.

 

Has anyone actually weighed the two slides (milled vs folded)? Some have argued that the pistol with the milled slide is "top-heavy". Personally, in terms of "balance" and handling, I prefer the milled version.

 

My 228 weighs 25.9 oz, with no mag. If someone has a 229 to compare it to...

 

Congrats! I bought mine around 1994 and have been shooting it regularly since. My favorite pistol overall.

 

Ah, you guys ... my favorite pistol (aside from the classic 1911s) ... No doubt, the years 1988 to 1994 were the halcyon years for the P-226.

 

Had a 228 or two, and have a P229 now. It weighs 28.2 Oz. sans magazine.

 

Well the P229 was designed for the .40 S&W and was SIGs first model to feature the one-piece milled stainless slide, so it’s just a beefier gun to begin with and not fair to compare the slide weight to that of a stamped carbon steel P228. A more fair comparison would be a West German P226 slide compared to a MK25 slide.

 

Dragonfly

Excellent photos and review; another great post! I had an early model P226 as I felt it was a much more ergonomic design versus the Beretta Model 92 Compact I was comparing it to. The grips were very comfortable and the balance and handling were both first rate. However it was a bit of a reach to the trigger which was also rather heavy in DA mode but the SA was surprisingly clean with a short reset.Sights were good and the overall fit and finish were top notch. I eventually sold it and used my brother's P228 for a number of years until I bought a used (but like new in the box), P229R. What a world of difference with the E2 grip and the short reset trigger! Finally a SIG P Series that I could shoot well in both DA and SA mode!

 

Or the 228, to the M11-A1. It has no rail, similar slide profile.

 

Ah yes, forgot about the newer M11-A1. It’s a P229 masquerading around as a classic P228 but it’s actually a great gun in its own right.

 

I went into the academy on Monday April 1, 1991. I had to have the serial number of my sidearm memorized by the second day. That P-226 serial number was U418999...I sold it years ago but never forgot those numbers.

My only gripe with SIG Sauer pistols is the finish. It wore on my P-226 quickly, and I've posted before that as a result of the rapidly wearing finish I sent it to Robar for Np3....along with some action work, etc.

I bought a minimal-wear P228 several years ago from a friend who was in financial straits. This is also a West German gun as-issued from the factory, with the only change being a DAK trigger modification I had done in 2015.



The P-220 series are truly one of the greatest battle/duty sidearms of the late 20'th Century for sure!

Stay safe.

 

The 226 was the first SIG I bought. I'd first handled one at an NRA convention. I thought at the time that I wished my Colts and Hi Powers had such precise barrel/slide/frame fit. Back around '86-'87 the Dept. authorized the 226 as an optional duty weapon. I wangled my way into the first revolver to semi-auto class, 3 days IIRC. Afterwards, I carried the 226 every working day for several years. My first 226, and successive P220s, P226s, 228s and 229s performed flawlessly. Never an issue with any of them.

BTW, reference balance and 228 vs. 229 slide weights, etc.: my 228 slide weighed 10.7 oz, Legacy 229 slide 12.3 oz. An M11A1 slide 11.5 oz., a 226/MK25 slide 12.3 oz.